There are situations when the content of a data storage device needs to be restored to an earlier, known good state. Examples of such situations include: when the data on the storage device gets corrupted by a virus or a malicious or careless person, when a new device driver or other piece of software (SW) prevents the operating system (OS) from loading, or when important files are accidentally deleted or overwritten.
Backup methods for restoring storage device contents are known. However, such backup methods usually involve time-consuming copying of data.
There is a need for a method and apparatus for rapidly backing up and restoring the contents of data storage devices.